Clive Holtham is Professor of Information Management and Cass Learning Laboratory Director (Go to Clive Holtham's Cass Experts entry). Dr Martin Rich is a Lecturer in Information Management at Cass (Go to Martin Rich Cass Experts entry).

Summary of key points:

Clive Holtham, Professor of Information Management at Cass Business School, is the man behind the recent publication of the Intelligent Exploiter framework. We asked him about the framework, and the opportunities it provides in the world of IT. Key concepts included:

• IT is not about boxes and wires, it is about information and knowledge, and how technology can transform and exploit these;

• The framework has extended a model used in the building and construction industries to create a comprehensive plan for businesses and organisations;

• Businesses do not benefit from technology, unless they are aware of how to deploy and exploit information and knowledge;

• The mindset of businesses in IT is important in perceiving both problem and solution as a whole;

• The IT industry is not stabilised, but ever-changing;

• The rise of free and low cost technologies will dramatically enhance the ability of small businesses to get up-and-running quickly.

Q&A transcript:

Dr Rich: What is the Intelligent Exploiter? And why is it so important to business?

Professor Holtham: Well, first of all, the Intelligent Exploiter framework, though it has been published in 2008/9, is really on the back of ten to 15 years worth of research here at Cass Business School. So it has not suddenly emerged in one year, it has cumulatively been developed.

Q: There are several components, can you just run through those for me please?